El concepto de ilhuicatl en la cosmovisión nahua y sus representaciones gráficas en códices

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the concept of ilhuicatl, «heaven», in the pre-Hispanic world view, by the means of semiotic methodology. After philological analysis the semantic field is determined. Consequently, the conclusion is drawn that the word ilhuicatl designates the day sky and the night sky, and the relationship between them is the same as between Omeyocan and Mictlan, meaning that the relation is formed on the opposition day / night, and not up / down. This similarity and opposition is confirmed by the graphic representations: the images of the night sky are practically the same as the images of the interior of the earth / the ultra world. It is observed that the difference between graphic representations of the day sky and the night sky consists of the use of the black colour and not of the signs of stars. Furthermore, it can be supposed that the pre-Hispanic convention of representation of the day sky was to show it as layers in different colours.